Ryan Reynolds’ latest action-comedy, Mayday, has sparked a notable divide between critics and viewers following its global premiere. While the film has earned some of the highest critical marks of Reynolds’ career, the initial audience response suggests a more polarized reaction to the 1980s-set Cold War thriller.
Released globally on Apple TV+ on September 4, 2026, the film currently holds an 81% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 77 reviews. This rating marks a significant milestone for Reynolds, representing his highest-rated live-action project in a decade, surpassing the critical reception of hits like Free Guy and Deadpool 2.
A Shift in Streaming Trends
The 81% critical score stands in contrast to the film’s official audience score, or “Popcornmeter,” which debuted at 65%. This gap indicates a reversal of the trend often seen in Reynolds’ previous streaming-exclusive projects. Films such as Red Notice and The Adam Project typically garnered high audience scores while receiving more lukewarm responses from professional critics. With Mayday, the reception suggests the film may be appealing more to critics’ sensibilities than to the general streaming public.
The film is written and directed by the duo of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who previously found success with Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Their latest effort leans into a 1980s-throwback aesthetic, which may account for the high level of critical interest.
Action, Comedy, and the Cold War
Set in 1987, the plot follows U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Reynolds), who finds himself stranded in Soviet territory after a mission involving an SR-71 Blackbird goes wrong. The story centers on his unlikely partnership with Nikolai Ustinov, an ex-KGB agent played by Kenneth Branagh. The two characters reportedly bond over American pop culture as they navigate the dangers of the Cold War landscape.
While Reynolds maintains his signature comedic timing, Kenneth Branagh’s performance as Ustinov has been highlighted by critics as a standout element. Branagh’s turn as the ex-KGB agent is being noted as a comedic departure from his more traditional dramatic roles, contributing to the film’s identity as an action-comedy rather than a standard military thriller.
As more verified ratings arrive on the Popcornmeter, it remains to be seen if the audience score will climb to meet the critical consensus or if the divide will widen as the film reaches a broader weekend streaming audience.
